77028 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No.
246 / Friday, December 22, 2006 / Notices
Regulations Development—B,
Attention: William N. Parham, III,
Room C4–26–05, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland
21244–1850.
Dated: December 18, 2006.
Michelle Shortt,
Director, Regulations Development Group,
Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory
Affairs.
[FR Doc. E6–21917 Filed 12–21–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[CMS–1327–N]
Medicare Program; First Biannual
Meeting of the Advisory Panel on
Ambulatory Payment Classification
Groups—March 7, 8, and 9, 2007
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services, Department of
Health and Human Services.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: In accordance with section
10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee
Act (FACA) (5 U.S.C. Appendix 2), this
notice announces the first biannual
meeting of the Advisory Panel on
Ambulatory Payment Classification
(APC) Groups (the Panel) for 2007. The
purpose of the Panel is to review the
APC groups and their associated
weights and to advise the Secretary of
Health and Human Services (the
Secretary) and the Administrator of the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) (the Administrator)
concerning the clinical integrity of the
APC groups and their associated
weights. CMS will consider the Panel’s
advice as we prepare the proposed and
final rules that update the hospital
Outpatient Prospective Payment System
(OPPS) for CY 2008.
Meeting Dates: We are scheduling the
first biannual meeting in 2007 for the
following dates and times:
• Wednesday, March 7, 2007, 1 p.m.
to 5 p.m. (e.s.t.)
• Thursday, March 8, 2007, 8 a.m. to
5 p.m. (e.s.t.)
• Friday, March 9, 2007, 8 a.m. to 12
noon (e.s.t.) 1
Note: We anticipate that there will be a
meeting on Friday, March 9, 2007. However,
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
if the business of the Panel concludes on
1 The
times listed above are approximate times;
consequently, the meetings may last longer than
listed above, but will not begin before the posted
times.
VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:45 Dec 21, 2006 Jkt 211001
Thursday, March 8, 2007, there will be no
meeting on March 9, 2007.
Deadlines
Deadline for Hardcopy Comments/
Suggested Agenda Topics—5 p.m.
(e.s.t.), Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Deadline for Hardcopy
Presentations—5 p.m. (e.s.t.),
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Deadline for Attendance
Registration—5 p.m. (e.s.t.), Wednesday,
February 28, 2007
Deadline for Special
Accommodations—5 p.m. (e.s.t.),
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Submission of Materials to the
Designated Federal Officer (DFO)
Because of staffing and resource
limitations, we cannot accept written
comments and presentations by FAX,
nor can we print written comments and
presentations received electronically for
dissemination at the meeting.
Only hardcopy comments and
presentations can be reproduced for
public dissemination. All hardcopy
presentations must be accompanied by
Form CMS–20017. The form is now
available through the CMS Forms Web
site. The URL for linking to this form is
as follows: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/
cmsforms/downloads/cms20017.pdf.
We are also requiring electronic
versions of the written comments and
presentations (in addition to the
hardcopies), so we can send them
electronically to the Panel members for
their review before the meeting.
Consequently, you must send BOTH
electronic and hardcopy versions of
your presentations and written
comments by the prescribed deadlines.
(Send electronic transmissions to the e-
mail address below. Mail (or send by
courier) hardcopies, accompanied by
Form CMS–20017, to the DFO, as
specified in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACTS section of this
notice.)
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in
the Auditorium, 1st Floor, CMS Central
Office, 7500 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, Maryland 21244–1850.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
• For further information, contact:
Shirl Ackerman-Ross, DFO, CMS, CMM,
HAPG, DOC, 7500 Security Boulevard,
Mail Stop C4–05–17, Baltimore, MD
21244–1850. Phone: (410) 786–4474*.
*Note: Please advise couriers of the
following: When delivering hardcopies of
presentations to CMS, if no one answers at
the above phone number, please call (410)
786–4532.
PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM
• E-mail address for comments,
presentations, and registration requests
is CMS_APCPanel@cms.hhs.gov.
• News media representatives must
contact our Public Affairs Office at (202)
690–6145.
Advisory Committees’ Information
Lines
The phone numbers for the CMS
Federal Advisory Committee Hotline are
1–877–449–5659 (toll free) and (410)
786–9379 (local).
Web Sites
Please search the CMS Web site at
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/FACA/
05_AdvisoryPanelonAmbulatory
PaymentClassificationGroups.asp#Top
OfPage in order to obtain the following:
• Additional information on the APC
meeting agenda topics,
• Updates to the Panel’s activities,
• Copies of the current Charter, and
• Membership requirements.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Secretary is required by section
1833(t)(9)(A) of the Act, as amended and
redesignated by sections 201(h) and
202(a)(2) of the Medicare, Medicaid, and
SCHIP Balanced Budget Refinement Act
of 1999 (BBRA) (Pub. L. 106–113),
respectively, to establish and consult
with an expert, outside advisory panel
on APC groups. The APC Panel meets
up to three times annually to review the
APC groups and to provide technical
advice to the Secretary and the
Administrator concerning the clinical
integrity of the groups and their
associated weights. All Panel members
must have technical expertise that
enables them to participate fully in the
work of the Panel. The expertise
encompasses hospital payment systems,
hospital medical-care delivery systems,
outpatient payment requirements, APCs,
Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)
codes, and the use and payment of
drugs and medical devices in the
outpatient setting, as well as other forms
of relevant expertise. Details regarding
membership requirements for the APC
Panel can be found on the CMS Web site
as listed above.
The Panel presently consists of the
following members:
• E.L. Hambrick, M.D., J.D., Chair.
• Marilyn Bedell, M.S., R.N., O.C.N.
• Gloryanne Bryant, B.S., R.H.I.A.,
R.H.I.T., C.C.S.
• Albert Brooks Einstein, Jr., M.D.,
F.A.C.P.
• Hazel Kimmel, R.N., C.C.S.
• Sandra J. Metzler, M.B.A., R.H.I.A.,
C.P.H.Q.
• Thomas M. Munger, M.D., F.A.C.C.
22DEN1
 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 246 / Friday, December 22, 2006 / Notices
• Frank G. Opelka, M.D., F.A.C.S.
• Louis Potters, M.D., F.A.C.R.
• James V. Rawson, M.D.
• Lou Ann Schraffenberger, M.B.A.,
R.H.I.A., C.C.S.-P.
• Judie S. Snipes, R.N., M.B.A.,
F.A.C.H.E.
• Timothy Gene Tyler, Pharm.D.
• Kim Allan Williams, M.D., F.A.C.C.,
F.A.B.C.
• Robert Matthew Zwolak, M.D.,
Ph.D., F.A.C.S.
II. Agenda
The agenda for the March 2007
meeting will provide for discussion and
comment on the following topics as
designated in the Panel’s Charter:
• Reconfiguring APCs (for example,
splitting of APCs, moving Healthcare
Common Procedure Coding System
[HCPCS] codes from one APC to another
and moving HCPCS codes from new
technology APCs to clinical APCs).
• Evaluating APC weights.
• Packaging device and drug costs
into APCs: methodology, effect on
APCs, and need for reconfiguring APCs
based upon device and drug packaging.
• Removing procedures from the
inpatient list for payment under the
OPPS.
• Using single and multiple
procedure claims data.
• Addressing other APC structure
technical issues.
The subject matter before the Panel
shall be limited to these and related
topics. Issues related to calculation of
the OPPS conversion factor, charge
compression, pass-through payments, or
wage adjustments are not related to the
subject matter that the Panel reviews.
The Panel may use data collected or
developed by entities and organizations,
other than DHHS and CMS, in
conducting its review. Organizations are
urged to submit data to CMS for review.
III. Written Comments and Suggested
Agenda Topics
Send hardcopy written comments and
suggested agenda topics to the DFO at
the address indicated above. The DFO
must receive these items by 5 p.m.
(e.s.t.), Wednesday, February 7, 2007.
The written comments and suggested
agenda topics for the March 2007 APC
Panel meeting must fall within the
subject categories outlined in the
Panel’s Charter and as listed in the
Agenda section of this notice.
IV. Oral Presentations
Individuals or organizations wishing
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
to make 5-minute oral presentations
must submit hardcopies of their
presentations to the DFO by 5 p.m.
(e.s.t.), Wednesday, February 7, 2007,
for consideration.
VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:45 Dec 21, 2006 Jkt 211001
The number of oral presentations may
be limited by the time available. Oral
presentations should not exceed 5
minutes in length for an individual or
organization.
The Chair may further limit time
allowed for presentations due to the
number of oral presentations, if
necessary.
V. Presenter and Presentation
Information
All presenters must submit Form
CMS–20017. Hardcopies are required
for oral presentations; however,
electronic submissions of Form CMS–
20017 are optional. The DFO must
receive the following information from
those wishing to make oral
presentations:
• Form CMS–20017 completed with
all pertinent information identified on
the first page of the presentation.
• One hardcopy of presentation.
• Electronic copy of presentation.
• Personal registration information as
described in the Meeting Attendance
section below.
(Those persons wishing to submit
comments only must send hard-copy
and electronic versions of their
comments, but they are not required to
submit Form CMS–20017.)
VI. Oral Comments
In addition to formal oral
presentations, there will be opportunity
during the meeting for public oral
comments, which will be limited to 1
minute for each individual and a total
of 3 minutes per organization.
VII. Meeting Attendance
The meeting is open to the public;
however, attendance is limited to space
available. Attendance will be
determined on a first-come, first-served
basis.
Persons wishing to attend this
meeting, which is located on Federal
property, must e-mail the Panel DFO to
register in advance no later than 5 p.m.
(e.s.t.), Wednesday, February 28, 2007.
A confirmation will be sent to the
requester(s) via return e-mail.
The following personal information
must be e-mailed or telephoned to the
DFO by the date and time above:
• Name(s) of attendee(s),
• Title(s),
• Organization,
• E-mail address(es), and
• Telephone number(s).
VIII. Security, Building, and Parking
Guidelines
Persons attending the meeting must
present photographic identification to
the Federal Protective Service or Guard
PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703
77029
Service personnel before they will be
allowed to enter the building.
Security measures will include
inspection of vehicles, inside and out, at
the entrance to the grounds. In addition,
all persons entering the building must
pass through a metal detector. All items
brought to CMS, including personal
items such as desktops, cell phones,
palm pilots, etc., are subject to physical
inspection.
Individuals who are not registered in
advance will not be permitted to enter
the building and will be unable to
attend the meeting.
Note: Presenters must register for the
meeting. The public may enter the building
30 to 45 minutes before the meeting convenes
each day.
All visitors must be escorted in areas
other than the lower and first-floor
levels in the Central Building.
Parking permits and instructions are
issued upon arrival by the guards at the
main entrance.
IX. Special Accommodations
Individuals requiring sign-language
interpretation or other special
accommodations must send a request
for these services to the DFO by 5 p.m.
(e.s.t.), Wednesday, February 28, 2007.
Authority: Section 1833(t)(9) of the Act (42
U.S.C. 1395l(t)). The Panel is governed by the
provisions of Pub. L. 92–463, as amended (54
U.S.C. Appendix 2).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program No. 93.773, Medicare–Hospital
Insurance; and Program No. 93.774,
Medicare–Supplementary Medical Insurance
Program).
Dated: December 7, 2006.
Leslie V. Norwalk,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. E6–21736 Filed 12–21–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
[CMS–7002–N]
Medicare Program; Meeting of the
Advisory Panel on Medicare
Education, January 24, 2007
AGENCY: Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5
U.S.C. Appendix 2, section 10(a) (Pub.
L. 92–463), this notice announces a
meeting of the Advisory Panel on
E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM 22DEN1